It's true: to live is to suffer. Ask anyone! Rich, poor, young, old, worldly or insular, they all have their own little demons on their backs. Perhaps they'll force a smile and tell you that it's worth it for the sake of something/one else. Perhaps they'll lower their eyebrows and tell you it's all someone else's fault. Or perhaps they'll wave their arms and say it would all be perfect if only such-and-such magic condition were the case instead. But nobody will tell you they're totally happy.

Which brings us on to the obvious question, why do we suffer? Is it as simple as the hedonic treadmill and how reward schemes in the brain evolved, or is there some deeper philosophical reason? Many would have you believe it's a universal truth of one sort or another, but I can't help but feel the problem is more complicated and nuanced than anyone cares to admit.

Suffering can bring about positive change. For instance, studying is not particularly fun, but the sense of bettering oneself through learning can give a sense of satisfaction and understanding that lasts far longer than any temporary discomfort. Similarly, an agoraphobe may find it painful to have to force themselves outside, but overcoming this frees them from the subtler pain of being trapped in their own home.

Some people suffer more than others. How does one minimise suffering? Buddhist philosophy seems to advocate not suffering by simply not being attached to things in the first place (though I'm aware that's a rather crude interpretation). I'm quite sure that's true, but surely to give up attachment to what you love is a form of suffering in itself.

So what, then? Should we tolerate our suffering as an unavoidable unpleasantry? Should we seek to escape it at all costs? Or should we embrace it as something that ties us to the world, and a force of change? I'm not sure either.